through this website, AAFSW receives a small percentage to help fund out activities and services. 
The
Cyberspouse: August, 2001
Staying Healthy with the Internet
You are posted to an African country and have "female trouble." The post medical officer tells you one thing, the local general practitioner tells you another, and the South African gynecologist you see while on medical evacuation to Praetoria tells you something in between. What are you going to do?
The Cyberspouse found herself in this situation several years ago, and eventually resolved it with the help of barely legible copies of article from the Journal of the American Medical Association that her mother faxed to her from the United States. While everything turned out for the best in this situation, it was far from an ideal way of resolving a medical issue. Yet Foreign Service families quite often find themselves in similar situations and must make the best possible decision while considering different methods of testing, diagnoses, available medications, and even medical philosophies. Thank heaven for the Internet!
Of course no one should ever completely diagnose herself without consulting a medical professional. But online medical resources can be great for :
1.) Finding out what questions to ask especially if you are seeing a doctor in a country where patients are not commonly offered a great deal of information, or if your only access to fully qualified medical care is via telephone, fax, or email.
2.) Determining whether vague or seemingly unrelated symptoms are "in your head," or if they fit a pattern that bears further investigation. Many medical problems that are common among women, in particular, such as hormonal or immune system disorders, can show themselves in odd ways.
3.) Understanding unfamiliar medical terms. There are lots of online medical dictionaries and glossaries available, most of which are aimed at the layperson.
4.) Translating foreign-language drug packaging. Every major international manufacturer will have it's own website, such as http://www.glaxowellcome.com, or http://www.bayer.com. Or, you can often order your prescriptions directly from the United States through http://www.drugstore.com or another supplier.
5.) Some websites are "portals" useful for screening other, more specialized websites. Start with a reliable source such as the National Institutes of Health, at http://www.nih.gov, or a university medical school website, and follow the links found on that site to screened, accurate medical information. In addition, every major American medical speciality will have it's own organizational website, and most of these contain patient information and links to well-selected resources. For skin problems, for example, try the American Acadamy of Dermatology at www.aad.org. For mental health information try the American Academy of Psychology at http://www.apa.org. For pediatric information try the American Academy of Pediatrics at http://www.aap.org. And so on!
6.) Finding support groups for various diseases and disabilities. Wondering if anyone else in the world has ever felt the way you do? Of course someone has, and they have probably started an online community of people in the same situation! These communities can be an invaluable source of information and solace.
It's always important to be well-informed and educated about your family's health, and even more so when you are living overseas. Fortunately, this is becoming far easier with vast resources available to anyone online. Please use the following links to stay informed and healthy.
General Information:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
Medline Plus.Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, this website
is a great starting point for any kind of medical research. Contains drug
information, a library of articles on health topics, a medical dictionary,
and a high-quality selection of links to other medical resources.
http://www.healthfinder.gov/
Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Healthfinder
is a clearinghouse for reliable health and consumer information. Hundreds
of quality links to information on any medical or health-related subject.
Good kids section too.
http://www.intelihealth.com
InteliHealth. Funded by Aetna, this site is a collection of reputable
information from sources such as Harvard University Medical School. Articles,
drug information, and a medical dictionary. Divided into Men's, Women's,
Children's, and Seniors' health sections.
http://www.webmd.com/
WebMD. Another general health information site. Not as detailed as the
other sites, but very easy to navigate. Focus on prevention and wellness.
http://home.about.com/health/index.htm
About Health and Fitness. About.com's health and fitness links are a mixed
bag, however, there are lots of links that may be missed by other major
portals. A good place to find support groups for any kind of ailment.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
The National Library of Medecine sponsors PubMed, a huge database of medical
articles. Includes information on clinical trials.
http://www.ama-assn.org/
The American Medical Association's website is a great place to find a
specialist while on home leave. Search by specialty or region. Or, check
on your own doector's credentials!
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/index.html
Go Ask Alice! The question-and-answer format site was originally created
for Columbia University students. Great, down-to-earth information on
a variety of topics, with an emphasis on sexuality and contraception..
Drug Information:
http://rxlist.com/
RXlist. Really huge drug information database including herbal and alternative
remedies that you may encounter overseas. You can also purchase medicines,
herbs, and vitamins at the site.
Women's Health:
http://www.endocrineweb.com/index.html
Endocrine Web. "Written by doctors for patients," this site
covers pancreatic, thyroid, and other endocrine disorders. Great information
on hypothyroidism.
http://centerforpcos.bsd.uchicago.edu/
The Center for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome at the University of Chicago
is a great starting point for research into this syndrome that is estimated
to affect 1 in 20 women at some point in their lives.
Children's Health:
All of the general health sites listed above have pediatric information on them. In addition try:
http://familydoctor.org/
FamilyDoctor. Health information from the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Very searchable.
http://www.kidshealth.com/
KidsHealth. Sponsored by the nonprofit Nemours Foundation this site has
lots of information for both parents and kids. Special Teen Health section.
Mental Health:
Many of the above sites offer mental health information, but you can also try:
http://www.apa.org/
The American Psychological Association offers a wealth of information
on all kinds of mental health topics.
Alternative Medecine:
http://www.altmedicine.com/
Alternative Health News. Backed by Tufts University, this site contains
practical information on healing by touch, Eastern medical philosophy,
and nutrition, among other topics.
Support Groups:
One way to find a support group for any disease is to search for that disease on a directory such as Yahoo! and then search within that category.
http://home.about.com/health/index.htm
Nearly every health and fitness category listed on About.com will include
links to support groups for that particular topic.
http://www.acor.org
The Association of Cancer Online Resources is a clearinghouse of online
and email forums for cancer sufferers and their families.
The Cyberspouse thanks Foreign Service family members Jennifer Kolodner, Marilyn Pifer, and Francesca Kelly for their contributions to this article.
Look for a new Health and Medical Information links section on www.aafsw.org soon! Send your suggestion for medical/health links to webmaster@aafsw.org.
The Cyberspouse is contributed by Kelly Bembry Midura, website designer, freelance writer, stay-at-home parent, and veteran Foreign Service Spouse. Click here to read more "Cyberspouse" columns. Email Kelly at kelly@aafsw.org.